Instagram Rolls Out Their Own “Portrait Mode”

Portrait modes for camera phones allowed users to finally take photos with a beautiful bokeh effect – the aesthetic blurring for out of focus parts of the image like the background – but they were limited to certain smartphones with dual-rear cameras and photos. With Instagram’s new “portrait mode” feature named Focus, a bokeh effect can now be applied to almost any picture you’ve taken. The best part of the tech is that it works not only with stills, but with videos as well. #softwaremagic

According to an Instagram spokesperson, “Focus mode leverages background segmentation and face detection technology.” This means that portrait mode and the blurred background effect can be applied to any picture, regardless of the phone’s operating system (OS) or camera functions. In most photos, the faces detected will remain sharp while the background is softly blurred. This feature currently works with every iPhone starting with the iPhone 6s and any Android device and is found next to Boomerang and Superzoom.

If this new feature is any indication, Instagram is thriving. Despite all the hearings and reports, Instagram has teased new updates and features as well. These include a QR feature similar to the one used by Snapchat and more colorful Story stickers that can be used to tag friends.